Census ACS 2023 · 51 states
States With Longest Average Commute Times
The average American spends about 27 minutes commuting to work each way — nearly an hour per day, five days a week. But this national average masks enormous state-level variation. New York and Maryland have the longest commutes, driven by their large populations of suburban and exurban workers who commute into New York City and Washington DC. New York is unique in having the nation's largest public transit system, which extends commutes but also enables workers to live far from their workplace. Long commutes have well-documented effects on health, happiness, and family life: research links long commutes to higher rates of obesity, stress, back pain, and divorce. They also represent an enormous economic cost in lost productivity. States with shorter commutes — like South Dakota, Montana, and Kansas — tend to have smaller cities, less traffic congestion, and workers who live closer to their employers.
Key Findings
- 1New York leads with a average commute time of 32.8 minutes, followed by Maryland (31.5 minutes) and New Jersey (30.9 minutes).
- 2South Dakota ranks last at 17.6 minutes, while New York leads at 32.8 minutes.
- 3The national median across all states is 25.4 minutes (Alabama at the midpoint).
- 4The top 10 states are: New York, Maryland, New Jersey, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, California, Georgia, Illinois, Florida, Virginia.
Full Ranking: States With Longest Average Commute Times
Source: Census ACS 2023 5-Year Estimates
| # | State | Avg Commute | Drive Alone | WFH Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wyoming | 18.5 | 0.9% | 8.5% |
| 2 | Wisconsin | 22.2 | 1.2% | 11.6% |
| 3 | West Virginia | 26.6 | 0.6% | 8.0% |
| 4 | Washington | 27 | 4.0% | 17.7% |
| 5 | Virginia | 27.6 | 2.6% | 16.2% |
| 6 | Vermont | 23.4 | 0.9% | 15.0% |
| 7 | Utah | 22 | 1.7% | 16.0% |
| 8 | Texas | 26.7 | 1.0% | 12.8% |
| 9 | Tennessee | 25.7 | 0.5% | 11.4% |
| 10 | South Dakota | 17.6 | 0.5% | 9.3% |
| 11 | South Carolina | 25.6 | 0.4% | 10.0% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 25.5 | 1.9% | 11.4% |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 26.6 | 3.9% | 13.8% |
| 14 | Oregon | 23.2 | 2.6% | 17.0% |
| 15 | Oklahoma | 22.4 | 0.3% | 8.5% |
| 16 | Ohio | 23.6 | 1.1% | 11.5% |
| 17 | North Dakota | 18 | 0.4% | 7.3% |
| 18 | North Carolina | 25.1 | 0.7% | 14.5% |
| 19 | New York | 32.8 | 22.4% | 13.3% |
| 20 | New Mexico | 23.2 | 0.7% | 11.0% |
| 21 | New Jersey | 30.9 | 8.5% | 15.0% |
| 22 | New Hampshire | 26.8 | 0.6% | 15.1% |
| 23 | Nevada | 24.8 | 2.4% | 10.5% |
| 24 | Nebraska | 19.1 | 0.5% | 10.0% |
| 25 | Montana | 19.2 | 0.6% | 11.6% |
| 26 | Missouri | 23.7 | 0.9% | 11.6% |
| 27 | Mississippi | 25.6 | 0.3% | 5.3% |
| 28 | Minnesota | 23.1 | 2.1% | 15.8% |
| 29 | Michigan | 24.4 | 1.0% | 12.0% |
| 30 | Massachusetts | 29.3 | 7.0% | 16.7% |
| 31 | Maryland | 31.5 | 4.9% | 17.2% |
| 32 | Maine | 24.4 | 0.5% | 14.1% |
| 33 | Louisiana | 25.8 | 0.9% | 7.2% |
| 34 | Kentucky | 24 | 0.7% | 9.1% |
| 35 | Kansas | 19.8 | 0.4% | 10.7% |
| 36 | Iowa | 19.8 | 0.7% | 10.4% |
| 37 | Indiana | 24 | 0.7% | 9.6% |
| 38 | Illinois | 28.1 | 6.4% | 14.0% |
| 39 | Idaho | 21.6 | 0.6% | 12.2% |
| 40 | Hawaii | 26.4 | 4.1% | 8.8% |
| 41 | Georgia | 28.3 | 1.3% | 14.2% |
| 42 | Florida | 28 | 1.2% | 13.9% |
| 43 | District of Columbia | 30.3 | 22.3% | 29.4% |
| 44 | Delaware | 26.1 | 1.8% | 13.3% |
| 45 | Connecticut | 26.6 | 3.4% | 14.4% |
| 46 | Colorado | 25.5 | 1.9% | 18.8% |
| 47 | California | 29 | 3.2% | 15.5% |
| 48 | Arkansas | 22.3 | 0.3% | 7.8% |
| 49 | Arizona | 25.5 | 1.2% | 16.5% |
| 50 | Alaska | 19.5 | 1.0% | 8.8% |
| 51 | Alabama | 25.4 | 0.3% | 7.8% |
Methodology
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
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Frequently Asked Questions
New York has the highest average commute time at 32.8 minutes, according to Census ACS 2023 data. Maryland and New Jersey round out the top three.
South Dakota has the lowest average commute time at 17.6 minutes. North Dakota is second-lowest at 18.0 minutes.
The median across all 51 states is 25.4 minutes. Note that the national median and the state-level median are calculated differently — the state median represents the midpoint when all states are ranked.
This data comes from the American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates published by the US Census Bureau. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides the most comprehensive demographic data available between decennial censuses.
Rankings are based on the latest available Census ACS data (currently 2023 5-Year estimates). The Census Bureau releases new ACS data annually, typically in September. Our data was last updated on April 12, 2026.
Rankings are based on American Community Survey (ACS) 2023 5-Year estimates from the US Census Bureau. All 50 states and the District of Columbia are included. The ACS surveys approximately 3.5 million households annually and provides detailed demographic, social, economic, and housing data. 5-Year estimates offer the most reliable data for state-level comparisons by averaging responses over a 60-month period. Percentages may not sum to 100% due to rounding.